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Tuesday, 6 May 2008

Mark Milligan. A Socceroo, a star on the rise in the Asia Cup. Leader of the Olyroos. It's all going horribly wrong for Millsy Milligan. And his Agent must surely take some responsibility.Mark Milligan may have reached the giddy heights of Asian Cup experience last July alongside his then Sydney FC mate David Carney and of course, with youth on his side he would surely leave for richer pastures.

He went to France, left Sydney FC in the dark, and then returned. Didn't make many friends with that one but it seemed people were understanding of his desires.

This time he's been injured for sometime. Recuperated at the AIS in Canberra. Only to shoot off to Arsenal for a trial, supposedly, thus missing the Olyroos camp in Townsvile.

The FFA have dumped him from the upcoming tournament in Malaysia.

So what is it Millsy?

Did Socceroos stardom come to soon?

Seeing Olyroo colleagues Adrian Leijer and Ruben Zadkovich head to the English Premier League leave your eyes green with envy?

Or is your Agent a deadset goose? Or have you gone against his wishes?

Captain of the Olyroos, and the potential to be a Aussie icon and maybe a future Socceroos Captain.

And despite your desire, seemingly to make the dosh and get as far away from Sydney as quickly as possible, you moves are all wrong.

Rebuilding your confidence after an up and down season. Then Captaining the Olyroos at a tournament you have worked so hard to get to. A strong performance there and your wouldn't have to trial.

Brett Emerton had the patience and the nous. Possibly went against local advice at the time. But look at him now.

And despite getting stupidly sent-off against Croatia, thus costing us a chance to defend Grosso's attack, we still love Emerton. His reputation in Australia is outstanding.

Millsy is in danger of completely blowing his fanbase.

With Stuart Musialik having his own difficulties recently, and now Mark Milligan, one wonders how good their agents and own counsel is.

3 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I think Milligan is a tool regardless of his dissapearing acts but what do you expect him to do when Arsenal come knocking on the door offering a trial? The kid clearly wants out of the A-League and to play on a bigger stage in Europe so what's wrong with that?! We should be encouraging our young talent to get overseas to play some higher quality football.

We shouldn't be holding our better talents back in Australia, the A League is nowhere near strong enough to support them.

The only fault I can find in his actions is that he should have asked for clearance from the FFA to miss the camp, if they'd said no then he should have gone anyway.

I think i'd rather see a Mark Milligan at the 2010 and 2014 World Cup (supposing we make it) with several seasons of European experience as opposed to a couple due to missing opportunities to make a move.

There wasn't this response when fully fledged Socceroos were missing camps and tournaments to secure their place at new clubs. Fair enough they'd earned that right from previous service and they made the FFA aware of their intentions but shouldn't Milligan be given the chance to secure his future and his Socceroos future by chasing a higher standard? Basing this on the fact everyone seems to be going on and on about 'the future of Australian football'

I guess the main question that needs answering is why does he just keep flying off without letting his club and the FFA know? Anyone know the answer to that?

No-one would begrudge him overseas success. Indeed if Arsenal were really interested that would be fantastic for the Aussie game.

But why the Captain of the Olyroos who has no employment after June 30 presumably, feels unable to tell the FFA he needs to be excused from a part of the camp is astonishing....on his part and that of his advisors.

I'd still like to know why he didn't tell them, there has be a reason for it. He's surely not so stupid to go and shoot himself in the foot like this with the national selectors and the FFA without some sort of explanation.